Kapnek J

TO: Proximity Video team members
FROM: Joshua Kapnek
SUBJECT: British Columbia’s article on web ready television
DATE: January 29, 2010

We were asked to analyze a blog post or news item to help us prepare Proximity's spring focus group sessions. Below is a summary of British Columbia's article "Rating the latest web-ready televisions" and some questions we should ask in a focus group session.


What new television sets provide

New technology is making it possible to access the internet through your home television set. Online services such as Viera Cast from Panasonic, Samsung Media 2.0, and LG’s Netcast are connecting television sets to Ethernet cables, allowing you to connect by the push of a button. Furthermore, this technology enables viewers to stream movies, check the weather, stock prices, and share photos directly from the television.

Why web ready television is important

This type of web based technology is changing media and the way people live their everyday lives. Certain businesses are doomed to fail while others flourish because the ease, convenience, and speed this service offers the public.

Questions to ask during Proximity focus group sessions

There are many directions a focus group could take while discussing these technological advances. Here are some questions that could be addressed:

  • What other advantages can a service provide the user? And how much will these services cost?
  • Does this technology mean the end for video rental stores? And are movie theaters in trouble due to the poor economy and movies being offered directly to your television via the internet?
  • Will there be a way to use this technology with older television sets (some type of adaptor)?

Proximity focus group members will need to brainstorm and analyze these questions and many more in order to determine the effect this technology will have on our lives and the market place.

References

CTV News. (2010, January 29) Rating the latest web-ready televisions. British Columbia. Retrieved January 29, 2010, from http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100129/bc_olsen_web_tv_100129/20100129?hub=BritishColumbia